


A Drink and A Snack

by MetanteiIdolRachel



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Dense Shinichi, KaiShin Secret Santa 2020, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Conan Kudou Shinichi, Pre-Relationship, Slight Self Esteem Issues, Smug Akako, Smug Saguru, flustered Kaito
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:35:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28186995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MetanteiIdolRachel/pseuds/MetanteiIdolRachel
Summary: Where myrtle is given, rejection is shared, and macarons are bought.
Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	1. A Pot of Ginger Tea and A Big Fruit Platter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ren_Kyun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren_Kyun/gifts).



> People who contributed:  
> [Kiwili](https://kiwilart.tumblr.com/post/637913608877146112/my-kaishin-secret-santa-gift-for-karuuma00-you)  
> [Nagiru ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28169928/chapters/69025347)  
> [Mac ](https://katsukifatale.tumblr.com/)  
> [Ren ](https://lotusblossombloom.tumblr.com/post/637943216652615680/for-the-dcmk-2020-secret-santa-event-hosted-by)
> 
> [The PDF file on dA ](https://www.deviantart.com/miracles-await/art/KaiShin-Secret-Santa-2020-864520329)
> 
> I recommend you read the PDF rather than here because I didn't bother putting all the html from there to here. :3

Maybe turning the bar into a cafe wasn’t the best choice.

Konosuke Jii sighed as the coffee machine beeped. He poured the black coffee into a porcelain cup and placed it on the mahogany tray. He was followed by a distracted magician’s hand as Kaito picked up the tray. It was significantly slower than his usual ways, but no less enthusiastic. Kaito’s gaze was glued to the table of college students. The way his eyes were set made him seem like he was scrutinizing them, but Jii knew better. Under the defensive expression Kaito wore was a pair of sad, blue eyes. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure it out from there.

The magician lifted the tray and walked away from the counter. His gait had no evidence of his earlier melancholy as he served the orders. He didn’t make any eye contact with the students as he asked for what else they wanted. Jii pretended to have been cleaning a nearby table when Kaito came back. 

Kaito said nothing as he slowly took a counter seat. He quietly placed the tray on the empty stool next to his, head down. He then crossed his arms on the table, careful to not catch anyone’s eye, and hid his face in them. Jii guessed that he was regretting getting an undercut two weeks before; his reddening neck was on full display and looked rather feverish when Jii returned with another order.

As the old man passed his sorry charge, he heard Kaito’s voice through his arms. To anyone else, it would be completely incoherent, but Jii was practically Kaito’s grandfather, so he perfectly understood. It would help if Kaito put a bit more effort into being clear.

Jii sighed again and got to preparing. “Bocchama, are you sure you don't want to go home early?” he asked. Saucers clattered as he placed them on the table.

Kaito groaned. Whether it was an affirmative or not was a mystery to even his pseudo grandfather. 

Jii gently placed a slice of strawberry cake on its side on one saucer. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” Jii offered, placing the ceramic on the countertop. No answer came.

Five saucers later, Kaito hadn’t moved a centimeter. Jii had taken it upon himself to serve the first part of the order. He picked up the cake-filled tray and brought it to the table. 

It probably wasn’t a surprise when the topic of the conversation was murder. Jii caught the end tail of a statement, but he didn’t want to know how some crackhead decided to kill someone and then eat the murder weapon.

“Thank you for your patience,” Jii greeted, lowering the tray he had held high in one hand. 

“Ah! They’re here,” Suzuki Sonoko squealed. “You can put them at the center of the table.”

Jii nodded with a smile. He took the first plate and placed it as instructed. A positive sound drew out of Sera Masumi. “I’ll be taking that one,” she called.

Hondou Eisuke made a defeated sound. Mouri Ran chuckled and put a comforting hand on his back. “Next time,” she said.

The second and third plates had the Suzuki heiress drooling, but she waited patiently for all the plates to be set down. The female detective already had her phone one, either recording or already taking pictures of the cakes. The bespectacled boy was leaning forward, but the fond karate champion was holding him back. By the fourth plate, Hattori Heiji was returning from his bathroom break. He reached for the matcha slice, but an annoyed slap from Tomoya Kazuha kept him from touching the treat. 

“Is tha’ cake tea-flavored?” the Osakan detective asked incredulously as Jii placed down another plate. 

“Indeed it is,” Jii replied politely.

A hearty laugh drew from the dark-skinned boy. “Oi, Hakuba, it’s a cake made just for you!” he teased.

Saguru-tantei glared at him. “That’s racist and uncalled for,” he growled. “And matcha is also tea!”

Hattori-tantei laughed a bit more, slapping his thigh. His laughter seemed to have died down a bit, but it started up again when the last cake made it to the table. All the table’s customers looked at the boy Jii stood beside. 

Kudo Shinichi groaned. “You guys…” he mumbled exasperatedly as he straightened up.

“It’s coffee flavored,” Hakuba-tantei smirked. “It’s practically made for you.”

“It’s not-”

“It might as well be, considering we only thought of it after you started coming,” Jii stated, bending down to look the Detective of The East in the eye. It was a joke. Jii was in the middle of perfecting the recipe when any detective started coming, and he started serving it -- coincidentally, mind you -- the week Kudo-tantei became a regular. 

Hattori-tantei was wheezing at this point. Saguru-tantei looked like he could follow any moment, despite doing his best to stop his giggles. Kudo-tantei looked like he would’ve left then and there. He glanced at the cake again and grumbled, “Get off my back.” Jii made a mental note to look at the building thermostat; Kudo-tantei’s ears were a bit red.

Jii bowed a bit and went back to the counter. Kaito was placing the rest of the ordered cakes onto saucers. The other table that had orders was happily chatting away, cappuccinos untouched. Jii wouldn’t blame them. Kaito had skills with many forms of art. 

Maybe Jii should’ve just opened an ornament store instead of a cafe because Kaito would. Not. Stop. Staring.

Kaito’s muscle memory was amazing. He had four of the six remaining cakes plated, all while he was staring at the table Jii had just come from. Jii sincerely hoped the object of Kaito’s attraction wasn’t Saguru-tantei, or anyone at the table, for that matter. Everyone there was aiming for law enforcement in one way or another. Jii wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if Kaito started going out with someone who could find him out and arrest him any second. 

Alas, Jii’s heart was out of luck.

Jii was relishing a cup of hibiscus tea in the back room when he heard a short, high-pitched squeak. It sounded alarmingly like Kaito. Did someone come here straight from the aquarium? He put down his cup and newspaper and sped for the door. The cafe bustle and caffeine-scented air hit him pleasantly, and upon glancing at all four corners of the counter canopy, it didn’t seem Kaito had jumped up either. There wasn’t even a faint trace of chlorine or fish, so why--

Oh. 

…

OH.

Jii’s heart jumped to the chime of the clock when it hit 3PM. Kudo-tantei was scrutinizing Kaito with an eye Jii knew was reserved for Kaitou KID. He was up in Kaito’s face, stepping into his personal space from the other side of the counter. Jii could only see Kaito’s back, but he was sure that the magician was steaming at the face. His legs were shaking ever so slightly.

A distinct snort came from the tables, causing Jii to open the door more. Saguru-tantei pretended to have been interested in the potted plant by the door, but his expression was a mix of smugness and amusement. Jii suppressed the urge to sigh and walked to his pitiful young master. Lovesick and cornered, Kaito was doing great at keeping his poker face of a person so prideful you’d want to punch into next year, but his skin was betraying him. Either Kudo-tantei had a good poker face or he was oblivious to the other boy’s color, somehow. 

“I’m the manager,” Jii cut in. Kaito let out a big sigh and shamelessly hid behind Jii. “Is there anything you would need help with?”

“Ah, nothing really!” Kudo-tantei replied, pulling back. “I’m just waiting for the receipt.”

As if on cue, the cashier beeped, and a curiously long snake of paper popped off. Jii leaned forward to rip it off and hand it to the detective, who took it with a polite smile. Jii glanced back to look at the inventory, but it seemed that Kaito had been restocking the counter when Kudo-tantei had come to pay the bill. Kudo-tantei’s eyes widened as his smile dropped. His eyes flickered hopefully at the menu but ultimately sighed in defeat.

“Well, I’ll be off, I guess,” he said ruefully. 

“Thank you for coming,” Jii replied with a smile and a bow. 

Kudo-tantei bowed back and gestured for his friends to leave. The group of college students emptied out, but Saguru-tantei trailed behind. He waited for the last of his group to step out of the cafe before he leaned onto the counter to best reach Kaito, who had maneuvered to dodge, and hand him a sprig of blue myrtles. He smirked as Kaito stared at the flowers. Saguru-tantei wished Jii well with a bow and left.

Later, halfway through dinner with his long-time friend Agasa Hiroshi, Jii choked on his ginger tea upon realization of the intention of the blonde tantei’s actions.

Yeah. Maybe he shouldn’t have served coffee as a replacement for alcohol.


	2. A Cup of Black Coffee and A Slice of Lemon Cheesecake

That could’ve gone better.

Kudo Shinichi hadn’t considered dating... in a while. Then again, he hadn’t even considered any step to getting into a relationship. For so long, he had just assumed that he and Ran would end up together. He didn’t think he’d have to lose three feet of his height, make Ran’s father into a world class detective by a bowtie and a tranquilizer, fake a handful of deaths, blow up a handful of buildings, or take down a worldwide criminal syndicate to get to her side. The worst part? They were both so tired that they had just cuddled into the backseat of Akai-san’s newly bought van and slept through an intense car chase and a storm of bullets. The next thing they remembered was making curry for dinner and not knowing why Eri-obaasan was home and why Occhan was glaring at Shinichi intensely enough to cook the curry itself.

It wasn’t easy-- healing after making a wound so big with a double-edged sword that he needed to temporarily stay on the other side of the world to not make anything worse. Shinichi had suppressed most of it, but Ran did too, since she said she didn’t remember much of the past two years when he asked. It probably wasn’t the best thing to do, but his mother just stroked his hair and smiled sadly at him when he told her about his concerns of forgetting six months worth of memories, so he wouldn’t bite. 

After many reintroductions and bond recreations, it was as if a large chunk of Ran’s life had never been taken away, or so Shinichi liked to believe. Sonoko and Hattori thought otherwise, but neither told him any of their thoughts. Occhan and Eri-obaasan kept avoiding Shinichi as much as possible, but Shinichi couldn’t blame them, so he did his best to leave when he sensed either in the area. 

Was all the cut strings worth it? Yes. He had avenged many people, it was all he could ever ask for in his cracked pedestal. If he was being honest? Shinichi couldn’t be sure. He had grown a lot, and everything was the same as it always had been. Sparse friends, an unbreakable bond to Ran, the same big mansion. . .

Who was he kidding? He was broken, far too fractured to be loved. Shinichi didn’t think he could love anymore, either, not when his definition of love was making those close to him worry as much as possible. No one deserved a stack of fragments, or to be a source of masochistic entertainment, most especially not the cute waiter at the Blue Bird Cafe.

The man’s face was half hidden by his notepad, and his hair stuffed under a blue cap which reminded Shinichi of Haibara back in the old days. His ears were beat red, and his hands were whiter than the paper they held. Shinichi had a full view of the man’s right arm, which was covered with a black sleeve. It piqued Shinichi’s curiosity every once in a while. The sleeves varied in color, length, and quality. The waiter made an active effort to keep Shinichi from seeing his sleeve, however subtle. Nine out of ten times, he was successful in keeping his right arm from Shinichi, and he didn’t mind. This is the one in ten times, and Shinichi wondered why it was suddenly so interesting. 

Thick, long, cotton, and black was the style today. The sun had been especially active lately, so Shinichi supposed it was practical to have sleeves, but they were indoors, so there would be no reason to keep it on. The sweat gathering at the man’s wrist further proved that it was bothering him. Was the man hiding something? An injury, maybe? Possible. Shinichi had been coming to this cafe for a month, after all. It wasn’t enough time for an injury like a broken elbow to heal completely. It is possible that it was only on for cool points, though. 

Someone beside him cleared their throat. Shinichi welcomed the distraction and turned his head to his right. Hakuba had an annoyed expression. 

“Well?” Hakuba prompted, irritated. “Aren’t you going to answer him?”

Shinichi blinked in confusion. His stomach sank in remembrance. “Oh…” Shinichi muttered, his chin slotting in between his forefinger and thumb. 

This… this was a shot at an active love life. Shinichi didn’t love just anybody. He would happily commit, given the proper steps have been fulfilled beforehand. What were the steps again? Shinichi forgot. He had listed them in his head earlier, hadn’t he? Would it be worth taking the opportunity, though? He didn’t want to shatter any expectations, but he didn’t want his expectations and hopes to be broken, either. 

“Kudo-kun?” Nakamori-san called. She was staring at him expectantly. Ran was next to her, wearing a similar face. They were waiting for his answer. 

Shinichi glanced at the waiter again. His face had fallen, and it looked like he was ready to die in a hole somewhere, but he wasn’t leaving. Shinichi didn’t need to look him the eye to know that he was also waiting for an answer. 

“Then…” Shinichi started. The man fidgeted slightly, but stayed. Shinichi had made up his mind. “I’m sorry. I can’t go. I’m currently in a relationship,” he finished, tone light and a bright smile on his face. 

“Oh,” was what the waiter said in return. His shoulders sank, his skin paled, and his face turned down. 

Shinichi immediately regretted it. His heart sank lower than Kaitou KID without his hang glider, taking his stomach with it. It did not feel good. Shinichi gulped and looked away. He swore he could feel the temperature on his left drop and the one on his right rise immensely. He kept his smile, but he couldn’t figure out why his internal organs had felt the sudden need to hug gravity as much as possible. This isn’t guilt; Shinichi had enough experience with it, but it was just as persistent and nauseating.

“I-I mean, you’re fine and all, but you're not my type,” Shinichi added, trying to sooth the pain in his gut. It failed, but his mouth was still running without a filter. “You look great?!” Shinichi offered, “You look like people ask you out a lot. I, uh, wouldn’t be one of them, though.” Shinichi mentally chided his tongue as he chuckled nervously at the waiter. “Since I said no, though, why don’t you go ask someone else? This is a waste of both our time.” 

Shinichi felt. So. Stupid. 

Someone's hand slapped their face. It was probably Ran. Shinichi smiled innocently at the waiter, as if Conan was asking a suspect about their daily life. 

...

“I...I guess I’ll be taking your order… now,” the waiter replied nervously. He was taking this surprisingly well. Normally, people pointed an accusatory finger at whoever friend he was with. This man just moved on, admittedly lacking his usual energy, but it was already significantly better than what Shinichi was expecting. Especially since Shinichi went out and kept talking.

Nakamori-san’s eyes promised death. Shinichi did not want to die too, so he turned his head to avoid her glare.

Hakuba cleared his throat loudly. “We’ll have the usual,” he said. His tone was oddly soft. Was he pitying the waiter? Shinichi wouldn’t blame him. That wasn’t the best answer to Can I have a coffee with you?

Ah…

He asked if…

He could have a coffee with Shinichi…?

Was- was it even a romantic question? Maybe he just wanted to be friends? No, his blush said otherwise, but what if he was just shy because of Shinichi’s popularity? Did he have a thing for Nakamori-san, but didn’t have the guts to introduce himself to her? How about Hakuba? Was it because the blond seemed unapproachable? Hakuba did have a mean face, as if accusing you of stealing a cookie from a jar and having proof to send you to jail for two decades, but was that enough of a reason to ask Shinichi instead? Did he not want to ask Ran because he didn’t want it to look like he was courting her? Hondou and Ran did act like a couple, afterall. They weren’t, but would a stranger know that?

A bell chimed.

What if...what if he liked Ran?

It would make so much more sense. Shinichi and Ran were visibly close, so maybe the waiter would use Shinichi to check if Ran was available. Nakamori-san looked similar, but she didn’t act any way like Ran. Nakamori-san was motherly, the perfect housewife in terms of lady-likeness. She had a wild side, but it was more of a childish impulse than a rebellious teenager. Ran was rough with new people and tended to introduce herself to anyone who had clear attractions to her with a broken cement ground. She was soft, but her guard was too high up and too thick to get through. She hadn’t broken anything in Blue Bird, though, so what was keeping the waiter from asking Ran directly?

A yelp of disbelief sounded from the counter. Shinichi absently noted that it was Hondou that came in.

There wasn’t much in between the waiter and Ran the moment he asked Shinichi to coffee. Hondou had just come in now, too, so there would be no real reason to go through the trouble to asking Shinichi--

Angry stomps made the wooden floor vibrate.

Which brought back the question of whether the offer had platonic intentions or not. Was the waiter’s target Ran? Was it Shinichi? Did he need a friend, a partner? Maybe a new recruit--

A rough shove to Shinichi’s shoulder broke him from his musings. “KUDOU-KUN, WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!” Hondou screamed into his ear. 

Shinichi’s ears were ringing. People were staring at their table. Shinichi barely heard anything, but there probably isn’t anything to listen to anyway. 

“A-ah, Hondou--” Shinichi started, intending to ask Hondou to sit down and talk through this quietly and rationally, but three sets of glares shut him up.

“Don’t Ah, Hondou me!” the short man yelled, almost screeched. “I’m talking about Kuroba-kun! The Boss told me he left early because you turned him down!”

“Is...is that so?” Shinichi asked, voice raising a pitch. Oh no, Hondou Eisuke was mad. Last time he was mad, he nearly stabbed his supposedly comatosed sister with a pair of scissors--

“Shinichi,” Ran groaned, hands running down her face.

Shinichi wanted to run. Ran was going to beat him up if he didn’t figure this out soon. Hondou would finish him off and by the look Hakuba was giving Shinichi, he was going to help him hide the body. Okay, think. Too many unanswered questions were going through his head that moment. He could think, but he couldn’t find the answers to any of the questions marks. He needed something to work with, but no one was giving him any hints. Who was this Kuroba? By the way everyone around him acted, they all knew him, but how could Shinichi not? Hondou had a boss? Not hard to believe, but he was drawing faces 24/7 nowadays, so he couldn’t have a part time job. Turned down? Shinichi couldn’t think of anything he declined that would warrant Hondou’s anger.

A steaming cup of coffee was placed in front of him, and Shinichi hoped it was laced with poison.

“Eisuke-kun, please sit down,” the old man said. 

Shinichi sighed gratefully and downed the scalding hot mug of caffeine in one go. He choked at the beginning, a bit of liquid streaming onto his chin, but the rest of the coffee went down with no issue. When Shinichi put down the mug, it was empty, and his ears, tongue, throat, and stomach were burning. He couldn’t feel his mouth anymore, but that was kind of the point. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand, trying to breathe without pain. It didn’t work.

“Ue-sama!” the old waiter called worriedly. “Are you alright?”

Shinichi numbly nodded his head. Was it getting hot in here? Oh, and here comes the migraine he’d been hoping to use as an excuse to drop out of Ran and Nakamori-san’s shopping trip.

“Don’t think for a moment that you’re going to get away with this, Kudo-kun,” Hondou growled, now seated across him, where Ran’s seat had been. Ran was now sitting at the head of the table as if to act mediator, as she probably was. 

“Get away with what?” Shinichi groaned, leaning forward until his nose was painfully pressed into the glass table.

“Don’t play dumb with me.”

“I’m no-”

“Wait,” Hakuba cut in. The sound of skin slapping the surface gave Shinichi the imagery of the blond extending a hand in between the two. “Kudou probably doesn’t even know what's going on.”

The seat across Shinichi shortly scratched against the floor,but Shinichi can feel Hondou’s angry breath on the table, so Ran probably stopped him. “No,” his childhood friend said, tone stern. “He definitely does not know. Anything.”

Now, that was rude, no matter how true. 

“It’s his choice, why can’t we just let him be?” Nakamori-san said. Her voice was controlled, like she was also mad at Shinichi, but why? “He…” she added, voice softer, though coals threatened to combust if treated wrong, “If he didn’t want to date Kaito, then we won’t force him…”

“That’s not what I’m mad about!” Hondou hissed. The chair fell as he stood up. “What’s your catchphrase? There’s only one truth? I thought you said you learned from the time you were gone! Lying doesn't get you anywhere, but even if you don’t want to go anywhere with Kuroba-kun, you can’t just tell- tell him…” 

Shincihi looked up as Hondou trailed off. He was half-standing, chair gone and Ran’s hand tightly gripping his upper arm. His expression had softened, but it was evident that he was still mad at Shinichi. 

Hondou took a breath and looked Shinichi in the eye. “You can’t just tell him whatever excuse you told him!” Hondou finished, but his voice was choked. Did Shinichi really look that pathetic, enough for Hondou to pity him? 

A silence washed over the table. It was one of the most uncomfortable quiet moments Shinichi’s ever been in. Hondou had gotten his chair back, and he was alternatively rubbing his eyes and glaring at Shinichi, Nakamori-san and Ran had gone to the bathroom and have not come back, Hakuba was constantly glancing at a worn pocket watch, and Shinichi was trying to remove any trace of his faceprint on the table.

A loud bang sounded from the Water Closets, and Shinichi perked up. (A body? That would help his case so much--) Nakamori-san came running out. She loudly bid the manager goodbye as she left the cafe. Ran calmly came out of the bathroom a few seconds after the entranced clicked shut. She looked… concerned, to say the least. Shinichi might’ve thought she was worried, but he didn’t think he knew her as well anymore. She didn’t glare at Conan like that when he came back after going MIA for more than a few hours.

Hondou clicked his tongue and hissed. Oh man, Shinichi was so screwed.

Back home, nearing seven in the evening, while Shinichi was curling himself deeper into the corner of his closet, Akai-san came back with a slice of lemon cheesecake to try to calm him down him after dealing with a pissed Ran, an angry Hondou, and an alarmingly indifferent Hakuba. 

Shinichi cried himself to sleep out of fear that night, thinking that things could’ve, should’ve, gone much better.


	3. A Tower of Macarons and A Large Mug of Hot Cocoa

Preparations are for normal people.

Mid-December hit Kaito like a bullet. No joke. Kaito was planning a heist when Aoko rang him up and screeched for him to crawl out of his hole and attend a hundred Christmas parties with her. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but it still felt like a hundred, with how many social interactions he’ll have to engage in. Kaito would rather not smell alcohol that the party goers will undoubtedly drink, feel sweaty bodies touch his clothes, or get flirted with by a person that wasn’t his type and having to nicely turn down their advances. He’ll just have to sneak out for the majority of the party and come back to walk Aoko home. Easy for an internationally wanted phantom thief, right? 

Wrong, the supermarket music reminded him. 

Aoko had made many friends at university, but the workload was heavy. Kaito was the only person Aoko knew of that wasn’t crying in notes and exams, according to her. Kaito just shrugged and continued to pass with flying colors. Kaito didn’t have time to cry over highlighters and pens when he was stealing big jewels left and right. Thieving took a big chunk out of his time, especially now that Jii was getting on his years. Aoko wasn’t secretly a criminal, but she acted like she was. She and her friends had their hands full with work that they were trying to finish before the end of the year, yet they decided to have a Christmas party. They left people they knew to make preparations, and Kaito was oh so offended. Like, yeah, he didn’t have a lot of people to spend the holidays with, but that didn’t mean that he was obligated to spend his money on staggeringly expensive snacks.

“This is ninety percent air,” Kaito loudly complained. “The money I use for this could get me a good watch!”

“Clearly Aoko-chan got a taste of the rich life,” Akako groaned, glaring at the price of a jar of salsa. “This is the price of a Fusae purse,” she hissed. This was the most animated Kaito had seen her recently, so it was both a breath of fresh air and a dose of anxiety. 

“What does she think of us?” Kaito groused. He was somewhat worried about what a mad Akako could do, but she might just follow through with any of his thoughts if he showed fear. “I can actually use this money!” 

The witch placed the sauce back onto the shelf with a scowl. “I’m calling her,” Akako declaimed. “I’m going to call her and ask for permission to get the cheaper ones.”

“You don’t need her permission.”

“Well, I’m going to get it anyway. It’s not like she’s going to pay us for this stuff. She needs to know how much this is going to cost us!”

Kaito rolled his eyes but full-heartedly agreed. Being a witch didn’t pay, so Akako would know when something’s out of the question. Said woman stepped out of the store, her face promising a temporary loss of hearing. When the sliding doors sounded shut, he smirked. Aoko was so getting it. With a happy hum, Kaito headed for a different aisle. While his friend was out chewing his other friend’s ear, Kaito might as well get his own groceries done, maybe buy something nice for Akako for going through the trouble of lecturing Aoko. 

The magician had filled his basket with basic necessities when he passed by the beverage section. A gold package caught his eyes. Kaito rushed over to it, and, yes, it was the brand Akako liked. The lady had been down as of late, so it was probably right to give her something to make her smile. An early Christmas gift, if Kaito doesn’t find something better (which he probably won’t, unless he were to surrender himself to Akako, and that’s never going to happen). 

Kaito reached for the second largest bag they sold. It was rather high up, which was fair because the brand was kind of pricey, but it was no problem for the 174cm Kuroba Kaito. He chuckled as he imagined the surprised face Akako would make when he gives it to her. A hand reached over his head to get from the same shelf, so Kaito tried to move out of the way, but he was pushed against the shelves instead. 

The person behind him seemed to be having difficulties reaching for the coffee pack behind what Kaito had gotten, but the man seemed to be the same height as Kaito, so the magician was probably the reason why the person couldn’t get the pack.

“Excuse me,” he called. 

The person pulled back immediately, and Kaito walked out of the way in return. Kaito caught a glimpse of eyes blue like the ocean before the man’s face turned to the floor. His ears were somewhat pink, Kaito noticed as he left the man to get the coffee himself. Well, that was funny. Was the guy attracted to him? Maybe Kaito would mess with him a bit.

“You look like people ask you out a lot.”

Kaito’s smirk disappeared instantly.

“I, uh, wouldn’t be one of them, though.” 

A soft, dry chuckle slipped past Kaito’s now pale lips.

“This is a waste of both our time.”

It was Meitantei’s loss for not saying yes. Kaito could do well without the detective in his life. Hakuba was persistent enough, thanks. One less nuisance during his heists (not that Meitantei had ever been to any since Tantei-kun, anyway), and one less rock on the road. His time crushing on Tantei-kun was oh so very painful, but now that he knew that Meitantei wouldn’t want to date him, Kaito could rest easy. 

With a shaky sigh, Kaito turned to leave the aisle, only to bump into Akako, who had a very familiar smirk. Dread climbed up his chest.

“Ara ara,” Akako purred, leaning into Kaito’s face. The boy leaned back to not end up accidentally pissing the witch off. “It seems that the myrtle’s finally working.”

“Wha- Myrtle?” Kaito echoed. 

“That took a while, though. It’s been more than a year since you’ve confessed, no?” Akako asked as she pulled back. Plastic crinkled behind Kaito, but he paid it no mind. Akako smiled at whatever happened, but Kaito knew better than to take an eye off her. 

“Wait-” Kaito called as she began to walk away. For good measure, he caught her hood. “What myrtle?”

Akako’s eyes widened in surprise. “You don’t remember?” she chuckled. “Well, this is new. I didn’t know the great phantom thief could forget something as significant as receiving the flower of good luck in love and marriage,” the witch whispered, but her voice rose at the last part. Something thumped loudly behind Kaito, but he still ignored it. 

“If I got a flower like that, I would remember,” Kaito said.

Akako’s thick, angular brows furrowed. Crow’s feet formed at her eyes. “That’s why it’s so funny,” she replied. She pulled her coat from Kaito’s grasp, and he let her. “Anyway, I’ll be off now,” Akako mocked. “Aoko-san told me to get mochi from a shop a few blocks away from here instead. She trusts that you’ll get the decorations.” Without waiting for a response, his red-haired friend left. 

Kaito’s eye twitched in annoyance. What was that all about? He hadn’t received anything that cryptic from her since high school, so why the sudden riddle? 

“H-hey,” someone called. “Excuse me?” 

Kaito looked over his shoulder to see the man from earlier. There was a bag of coffee on the floor where they had gotten one each. Curious. “Oh, yes?” Kaito responded, half turning to the guy.

“Have we met before?” the person asked. His head was still down, but his eyes were looking at Kaito, his dress shoes. Anyway.

Kaito hummed in thought. “I dunno?” he responded after double checking that he never encountered this guy as KID. “Maybe if I saw your face, I’d know?”

The man seemed to hesitate before he lifted his head and… oh…

Kaito was not expecting to come face to face with Kudo Shinichi ever again.

“You’re the barista at Blue Bird cafe, right?” Meitantei asked.

Kaito gulped. He hoped it wasn’t visible. “Uh, ye...yeah…” Kaito mumbled, averting his eyes. “Was, anyway. I quit last year.”

“According to my friend, you stopped working there after you know…” Meitantei rolled his wrist, conveying the memory Kaito rather not remember. 

“Right…” Kaito trailed off, finding the ceiling lights very interesting. Imagine if there was a bomb up there. Tantei-kun had been nefarious for being at the right place at the right time to witness one case or another. Did Meitantei have the same luck? Would it be mean for Kaito to wish he did? “If- if it still bothers you, then… don’t worry about it,” Kaito sighed, “It was just a passing… a passing fancy.” It wasn’t. It was a fully bloomed crush that Kaito wasn’t able to stop. 

“Oh...okay.”

Neither made a move. The lights flickered a few times, the clock signalled eleven in the morning, the cashier printed out a fw receipts. Kaito should probably go now.

“Wait!” Meitantei gasped, grasping Kaito’s wrist, hard. “I… I would like to apolo-- no, make it up to you.”

“Wha-”

“I’m serious!” Meitantei insisted, voice raising a pitch. Both of them flinched. Kaito saw a few heads poke past the shelves to look. “I feel...bad for what I did to you. Why don’t I pay for something? A dessert, probably?”

Kaito stared at the detective. This was ridiculous. It’s been a year since then, so why was the Great Detective of The East asking for forgiveness? Why did a simple waiter matter to him? Surely he’s turned down other people before, so why would he be offering something as big as a treat?

Kaito was not prepared for this. He just wanted to get the stuff and leave. He wanted to get home as soon as possible and have a nice, long rest. Maybe practice a few tricks with his doves or make curry for dinner. He didn’t know what to do. The object of his affections was gripping his arm as if to say ‘don’t go’. Kaito felt himself flush at the thought.

Ugh…

To Pandora with the preparations.

Kaito took a breath,

...and laughed. A loud, elegant, so distinctly Kaitou KID laugh. Oops he messed up. It was just supposed to be a soft giggle to lessen the tension, but Kaito was working with this now. 

“That’s cute, Meitantei,” Kaito giggled, wiping tears with his free hand. Gosh, he was so dead. “Do you do this for everyone who you reject? If that’s the case, I might just dress up as a hundred different people and confess to you,” Kaito joked.

Meitantei’s face turned so red that Akako should be jealous. He pouted adorably. Kaito’s arm was completely in his grasp now. Kaito laughed again, though with significantly lower volume. “Now now, Meitantei, if you hold onto me like that, people are going to think we’re a couple,” Kaito smirked. Externally, he was cocky, proud and self-centered like the thief Nakamori-keibu knew. Internally, Kaito was screeching for Shinichi to let go because if it continued like this…

“So what if I want them to think that?” Meitantei said softly, tightening his arms around Kaito’s.

Kaito died then and there. 

An hour after they left the store, Kaito was still blushing from it. How could he not? Meitantei went ahead and said that while making the sweetest face in the world. Meitantei had been so lucky it was Kaito. Imagine if he did that to Hakuba or something. Kaito rather not. He got the two things he wanted, after all: Kudo Shinichi and hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day. 

Kaito popped another macaron into his mouth and savored the milky taste that covered his tongue. He hummed in appreciation. He got why Aoko loved these now. She always dragged him into this place, but Kaito didn’t have anything besides the triple chocolate cake or udon. He should’ve tried the macaron tower so much sooner. 

“Are you going to tell me why you did what you did?” Meitantei asked from across the table. He was having a lemon tart and coffee. He had had a few macarons, but he said that it was too sweet for him. 

“What did I do?” Kaito asked, then took a sip of his hot chocolate.

“You know…” Meitantei muttered. “The thing you did in the supermarket. You freaked out a lot of people, you know,” Meitantei explained, voice even.

“Oh, that,” Kaito echoed. He munched on another treat. 

It was around the time that Kaito was halfway through his tall glass of cocoa that Meitantei noticed that he never got an answer. “Oi,” he called, nudging Kaito’s foot. Kaito laughed.

“You’ll know the answer, eventually,” the magician hummed. 

“It’s not because you panicked, is it?” the detective asked. 

Kaito hid his face in his cup. 

“Oi oi…” Meitantei grinned. “Is it?”

Kaito drank slower.

So what if it was? Preparation is for normal people. Kaito was not normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title broke parallelism because it's Kaito-centric. 
> 
> I know that I didn't say what the people at the first author's note were there for, but it's just another reason to read from the PDF. :3


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